by Lisa Cara

Created on: May 02, 2009   Last Updated: May 12, 2009

No tax that selectively impacts a certain subset of the population is fair. While I comprehend that fair has little to do with it, I also realistically know that the diminishing tax base, which was the benefit of the tax, is now causing the taxing authorities to look for a replacement tax-Sugar tax was one that the newscast reported. With all the taxes, and fees for whatever can be charged my payday is now officially exchange day.

With all the outcry against the dreaded Socialism spectre, why is more of earned income being demanded to fund anything? Then again, the government that takes my earnings ought to replace the rent and food I give up to pay it. There is an unacceptable limit to how much the middle and lower classes can bear, and income tax is far from the only tax wrested from already strapped resources. I have not properly researched this, but I deduce the incidence of drug abuse - nicotine is an abused drug albeit legal - rises as financial worth plummets. Not mysterious to me, really. Those who are ekeing out an existance, desire the euphoria amidst what is to them hardship. So for whatever excuses are presented, the government seeks to tax the sins, after the sin producing corporations profited, and taxing the sin is better for sales than making it illegal outright. Marijuana will most likely become legal - the tax possibilities are just too tempting, taxing stoners will be so much more profitable than housing them, even if the jails are privatized. Even more disturbing is the wealthy incentives to gather more wealth.

I applaud rewards and all, but I have to dispense with a telephone, entertainment, cut back every conceivable extra that sweetens my existence, merely to survive, When the amount of earnings I pay for shelter is 50% or better of my Gross, my tax burden (sales, state, and local, gas, sin, and the taxes on my electric, and other utility bills I am legally required to pay) is collectively 35% of my Gross, I have 15% of my gross earnings to pay utilities, buy food, pay insur - oops that's luxurious - so is my car insurance - but I am a criminal if I drop it, even if I do not drive the vehicle. I now am sacrificing my needs, it is hard to see them get incentives and bailouts.

What I understand is they were rewarded for outsourcing my income. How can any tax really be fair? 15% of millions still affords one very nice living. 15% of $1000 is $150 oh what does one do to pick which of the necessities to sacrifice. Assuming the $1000 is compensation for a two week period, that is about $14.00 an hour, I call it poverty - our government says no, and the oh so bad welfare benefit barely tops $500 in cash for a family of four in most states-I call that negligent and hardly worth complaining about. If this is 'socialism' then we are right to reject it. If this is truly capitalism, it is most definitively not Christian, for it has proved itself to foster the exact things that were on those tablets that Moses had. The overall tax burden is approaching an amount that will reqire further socialism, or drastic action in my view. I know. It just is not fair.

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